The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-12-14

and there was an abundance Of wild
uts to sustain life. There was not an
nhahitant or sign of one, nor did he find
my living thing except birds and mon.
Wheaton was not only good seaman,
but well educated and well posted man
and he had sailed on the Pacific for many
years. There was hardly an island in that
ocean which he had not set foot on and
could recognize by sight again
Nltera bit he began to figure on his loca
ton, and he made out that he had beer
lriven ashore on an unknown and unchart.
.d island lying very close to the eaua.
tor, and in longitude 1870 degrees west
This put him midway, on northeast and
southwest line, between the Marauesas
group and the Galapagos Islands. He
had visited both groups, and as both
were inhabited at that time he could not
have been mistaken in his location had he
zone ashore on any one of them. lie
found proofs satisfactory to himself that
the island was of volcanic origin, NOT
over twelve or fifteen years old. and that
the luxuriant vegetation was due to the
tropical climate. The birds, of which
there were several species, could perhaps
have flown there from some of the other
Islands, but how the monkeys reached
the spot was a puzzler the Captain never
got over. That he found 'em there was
proved when he was rescued, there being
Two pet animals on the raft.
When the castaway came to walk
around his island he found the wreck of
he Scotch brig Mcneil on the east shore,
and the wreck of the California shin
Golden Bar on the west coast Both craft
had been reported lost with all on board
two or three years before. The one was a
whalerand the other trader The Captain
not only said he found them, but he had
proof again. He had the name board of
the ship and some papers belonging to
he brig. He found and buried the
skeletons of thirteen sailors. and among
the debris of the wrecks he secured a
arge quantity of clothing, considerable
money, some bedding lot of tools,
ropes, boards, and planks, and within a
week he began the work of building a
boat to enable him TO escape.
always felt that the old man must
have had jolly life of it for the ten
months and over he was on what he
called "Wheaton's Island" but he dwelt
on the fact that it was terribly lonely
1t went harder with him, because he had
a wife and six children, and he knew
that they would be mourning his death.
He put in two months on his boat, and
had just got her finished when storm
set in and she broke her moorings and
drifted out to sea. Anxiety and expos
ure, aided by the worry about the folks
at home laid the old man on his back for
several weeks, and he probably had a
close call from slipping his cables, He
got up slowly, and as he had been waste
full with his materials, he found that he
must turn TO raft if he ever got away.
He worked at it at odd hours, being i'll
and Respondent, for several months, and
when it was finished he hesitated full
month before making start, hoping
every day to sight sail. He had sig
nal flying by day, and almost every night
he kept q fire going, but rescue never
came
One day, two weeks before he set out
on his voyage, the Captain made great
discovery. In rough, wild place, in
the center of the island, where mass OF
rock was thrown up ir great confusion,
he found lump of gold as big as your
fist. Ayel more than that, he found
masses Of it so heavy that he could not
lift them. These chunks, he said, were
as pure as his big nugget, and that I not
only held in my hand, but saw the certifi-
cate of assay reading that it was 81 per
cent. pure gold. He sold it at the mint
in San Francisco for over $12, 900, and
that in my presence. In the course of
three or four d lys the Captain piled up
such heap of gold on his island that he
dared not estimate its value There was
enough to make dozen men rich for
life, and more TO be had with picks
and iron bars. Then the demon of ava
rice would not let him wait any longer for
rescue. Indeed, he did not want to be
rescued. He made his raft ready. cut
branches and pulled grass to hide his
nuggets, and set sail with a fair wind to
the northeast, hoping to get into the
track of ships bound for the Sandwich
Islands. He was picked up as / have
told you, but he found tough nut in
the English Captain. He had to believe
that Captain Wheaton had left some ISL
duu HOl sdI AWAY, iOI Lutlt WAY iHO man
and there was the raft. He couldn't have
made himself believe that the island was
one of the group to the east or west, but
yet he wouldn't believe in a nearer island
because it wasn't charted. He simply
jumped 10 the conclusion that the cast.
away had suffered and endured until his
mind was off its balance. This was nat
ural enough in one sense. but when
Wheaton came TO show him the relics
from the two wrecks, and when the two
monkeys were skipping about on deck,
any one bnt an Englishman would have
been convinced.
Captain Wheaton was sharp enough to
withhold his big secret until he had
learned something of the Englishman.
When he found ali his stories and
assertions dis'redited he held his
tongue, and let them believe he was light
in the top story. He was taken to the
Sandwich Islands as a castaway, and
thence, with money found on his un-
known island, he paid his passage to San
Francisco. 1t was at this latter port he
found me, and within two hours after
meeting him I had his story. had no
reason to doubt its entire truth. Three
OF four others were taken into the secret,
and we formed a syndicate to go after the
gold had had legacy of 81, 900 from
an aunt, and five of us chipNed in an
equal amount and bought a schooner and
fittad her out and manued her. Some
fbin0 of Contain Whaaton'a wonderful